SHOULD THE LACK OF WORLDWIDE REVIVAL IN OUR DISPENSATION DISCOURAGE US FROM WITNESSING?
by Shawn Brasseaux
One theologian asserted that we will discourage ourselves and other Christians from witnessing if we go around saying there will be no worldwide revival until the Lord Jesus Christ returns. Is that true?
Personally, this author has no problem with witnessing even in the absence of a global revival. He has a biblical, healthy, reality-based perspective. He is not endeavoring to evangelize every last person on the planet, to reform and purge corrupt governments, to expose and correct every single false teaching, and so on. He does not have unreasonable expectations. This outlook saves him from disappointment whenever the masses refuse to hear him share God’s Word. Yet, there will come a day when nations will be converted. When Jesus Christ returns, all false religion will be put down, all governments will be purified, and all nations will come to know the one true God. Until then, this author reaches whomever he can, “holding forth the word of life” (Philippians 2:16).
The Apostle Paul did not endeavor to save “all;” he purposed to save “some” of his lost Jewish brethren. Romans 11:13-14: “For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.” Did this discourage him from evangelizing as many Jews as he could during the Acts period? Absolutely not! As the passage implies, it was with that knowledge of saving “some” (not “all”) that he was conducting his Acts ministry! He confessed a similar sentiment in 1 Corinthians 9:22, “To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.” Paul was not looking for every last Jew to come to Christ—he was preaching to save the remnant that did want to believe!
First Timothy chapter 4 speaks of increasing apostasy within the Church the Body of Christ: “[1] Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; [2] Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; [3] Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. [4] For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: [5] For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. [6] If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.”
A few years later, the “some shall depart from the faith” (verse 1) became the sad reality in 2 Timothy 1:15: “This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.” Now, that did not mean every last Christian had departed from sound Bible doctrine. It meant the majority (as Timothy himself was an exception)—and that was during Paul’s final days alive! That did not prevent either man from preaching even in his last days alive. In light of that, Paul encouraged Timothy to keep preaching sound Bible doctrine anyway!
Second Timothy chapter 4: “[1] I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; [2] Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. [3] For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; [4] And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. [5] But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.”
If realizing the lack of worldwide revival was detrimental to the ministry, why did the Holy Spirit Himself pen this advice in 1 and 2 Timothy? Evidently, it is vital information that we must always bear in mind. We are not here to see every last person saved. They all will not trust Christ anyway. Yet, we are to tell as many people as we can, we share the Gospel (1 Corinthians 15:3-4) as often as we can, and we let God the Holy Spirit take care of the rest. Upon first glance, it seems hopeless that most people do not listen to us; nevertheless, the Bible already prepared us to anticipate and handle such a response. We will find most people are unsaved. They are not Christians, genuine members of the Body of Christ. They may be pious church members and Bible readers, but they are not God’s children. Most of them will want to stay lost too. They will not want to hear the Gospel of Grace. They will prefer the Law system—works-religion. Many of them will actually go to Hell anyway (Matthew 7:13-14).
We will find most Christians are confused. Most of them will want to stay confused too. They will not care to hear about grace living, as they will prefer the Law as well. They will refuse to hear Pauline doctrine. That does not mean that no one will want to listen. There are believers in Christ in every nation. It means there is no conversion of any national entity. Worldwide revival will come, just not today. In the Millennial Reign of Christ, after our Dispensation of Grace and the Second Coming, nations will be saved and the evil world system (corrupt governments and false religions) will be abolished forever!
Isaiah 60:1-3: “[1] Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. [2] For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. [3] And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.”
Zechariah 8:20-23: “[20] Thus saith the LORD of hosts; It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities: [21] And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts: I will go also. [22] Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD. [23] Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.”
Isaiah 11:9: “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.” Habakkuk 2:14: “For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.”
Saints, please remember us in your monthly giving—these websites do cost money to run! 🙂 You can donate securely here: https://www.paypal.me/ShawnBrasseaux, or email me at arcministries@gmail.com. Do not forget about Bible Q&A booklets for sale at https://arcgraceministries.org/in-print/booklets-bible-q-a/. Thanks to all who give to and pray for us! By the way, ministry emails have really been backed up this year. I am handling them as much as humanly possible. Thanks for your patience. 🙂
Also see:
» Has God’s Word failed?
» Can we witness “too much” to family members?
» What about those who have not heard?